Home
by Rosalind2013
Summary: Marinette returns home from a delivery to discover that an unexpected guest has fallen asleep on her family's couch after being doted on by her loving parents. Featuring Sabine 'Adrienette-is-my-OTP' Dupain-Cheng.
1. Home

**The idea here is that something has happened with Adrien's father, (it might be that he has been identified as Hawkmoth and has been taken into custody/has a warrant out for his arrest). It could also be that he's disappeared, etc. I left it vague because I'd rather not write a story based on speculation. Yet, here we are. Bottom line, Adrien's dad isn't in the picture for shady reasons, and it's public knowledge.**

* * *

 **Home**

Marinette walked home after delivering three-dozen cupcakes to Manon's birthday party. She thoroughly believed that being assigned tasks like this were a true testament to her parents' undying love for her, since her clumsiness was unparalleled, and they trusted her to deliver baked goods anyway. The weather was perfect for walking, with a cool breeze that softened the heat of the sun.

She hummed a happy tune as she strolled down the street, waving to the elderly woman who always came in on Wednesday to buy dessert for date night with her husband. It was no secret that Marinette based her own ideal marriage off of their cute interactions.

She saw a little girl running alongside her fluffy white dog in the park, and beamed widely at their antics. Marinette spotted the Agreste Mansion in the distance, and her smile fell as it reminded her of Adrien.

Poor, sweet Adrien, whose life was just so unfairly sad. Her mind immediately ran over things she could do to cheer him up, but kept coming up blank. He couldn't be seen in public without being hounded by reporters nowadays, so she couldn't take him to an amusement park or a movie, or anything else of the sort. Alya told her that Nino was especially worried, since Adrien continued to act like everything was normal, when it most certainly was _not_.

She was still lost in thought when she wandered through the door of her parents' bakery, and headed toward the stairs that led up into their main house. "Marinette, sweetheart! Please be quiet when you go up, our guest fell asleep," her mother stated with a gentle smile. Marinette frowned thoughtfully, "Guest?" Sabine immediately looked sympathetic, and nodded as she dried her hands on a towel.

"Yes. Please try not to wake him up, the poor thing looks like he hasn't slept in days," her mother replied with a concerned smile. Marinette nodded, having a feeling that she knew where this was going.

She tiptoed up the stairs anyhow, and when she reached the living room, her suspicions were confirmed. Adrien Agreste was asleep on her couch, a blanket was draped around his shoulders and his head rested on the back of the sofa in a position that was bound to hurt when he woke up.

Marinette's motherly instincts kicked in, and before she realized what she was doing, she had grabbed an extra pillow from her room, and was hovering over Adrien's sleeping form. She warred with herself over whether she should disturb him or not, but ultimately decided it would be better to save him from neck pain later. While he was asleep, every trace of sadness seemed to have been wiped from his expression, making Marinette realize just _how_ sad he was most of the time.

She steeled herself for what she was about to do, clutching the pillow in one hand while she carefully slid the other underneath his head and tried not to think about the fact that she was _touching Adrien Agreste's golden blond hair_. She took a deep breath and cleared her mind of the offending thoughts as she gently lifted his head and slipped the pillow underneath it.

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she took in his serene expression, and she nearly started when her mother spoke. "He's such a sweet boy," Sabine noted from her place in the doorway. "He really is," Marinette murmured softly.

Her fingers ghosted across his forehead as she lovingly swept his fringe from his face before standing up to join her mother. Sabine grinned knowingly, and Marinette rolled her eyes. "We're just friends, Mama."

"I know, but I've also seen the posters in your room, dear," Sabine replied, a serious expression adorning her face. Marinette spared a glance back at the sleeping model, "I…really care about him, Mama. His life has been so hard, and…I just wish I could make it better." "You do. Just by being there for him, you make a difference," Sabine assured her, resting a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"He loves you, you know? Maybe not like _that_ yet, but he told me how much he appreciates you," Mrs. Dupain-Cheng explained as Marinette followed her into the kitchen to help prepare dinner.

"R-Really?" the girl squeaked as she pulled out the cutting board. "Really." Sabine assured her. Shortly after Marinette finished cutting up the vegetables, her father came in after closing the bakery and ushered her out.

Tom and Sabine always cooked dinner together, and Marinette knew it was their bonding time, so she allowed herself to be pushed out of the kitchen with a smile. She retreated to the living room and took a seat on the opposite end of the couch from Adrien, who was still fast asleep.

She grabbed her sketchbook and began drawing up a design for casual dress to wear on warmer weekends. As her pencil traveled across the page, she began humming the happy tune from earlier, blissfully unaware of the world around her until she finished the dress.

She continued humming as she turned her gaze to the sleeping boy beside her, and realized that somewhere along the way, she'd moved closer. The steady rise and fall of his chest was soothing, and she tentatively raised her hand, still humming as she gently threaded her fingers into his hair. He didn't stir, and she stared out through the window as she combed through his hair, his breathing and her cheerful song being the only sounds to interrupt the silence.

"Marinette?"

Her humming ended in a strangled squeak, and she jerked her hand away from his hair as if she'd been burned. She met his drowsy gaze, and felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "A-Adrien! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have touched you without permission! That was terrible-" "It's okay," he interrupted, dazzling her with his camera-ready smile.

He yawned and stretched, arcing his back and frying Marinette's remaining brain cells in the process. He relaxed back down into the couch and met Marinette's gaze, the ever-present sorrow swam behind his beautiful green eyes.

"Could you…do that again?" he asked, gazing at her with an expression the she couldn't place. The girl blinked owlishly, "Do what again?"

He bit his lip nervously, "Play with my hair? My mother used to do that. And she'd sing, a lot like what you were doing. It was nice." Marinette paused for a second, and before she could freak herself out again, grabbed the pillow and placed it on her lap, patting the spot invitingly.

Adrien smiled, and it actually reached his eyes for once. He lay down on the couch and placed his head on the pillow. Marinette began running her fingers through his hair again. Before she knew it, she was once again humming the cheerful tune that had been stuck in her head all day.

Adrien sighed contentedly and his eyes slid shut as he listened to Marinette's song. There was something about Marinette that made him feel whole, despite the fragmented nature of his life.

"Marinette?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you."


	2. Mother's Intuition

**I've noticed a trend in this fandom: everybody wants a continuation of oneshots around here. So I came prepared!**

* * *

 **Mother's Intuition**

Tom and Sabine stood in the doorway, watching the affectionate display with watery eyes. "Aww," they whispered, before retreating back into the kitchen. "It's nice to know that she isn't chasing some unattainable boy," Tom murmured as he washed the frying pan.

Sabine glanced at him questioningly, and he continued. "I was worried when she started putting up those posters in her room. I didn't want my little girl to get hurt trying to catch the attention of some 'celebrity teen model'."

Tom smiled, "And then she brought him over to play video games that day, and I knew as soon as I laid eyes on him that he was a good kid." Sabine giggled, "Tom, we already knew what he looked like. His face is all over our daughter's room."

Mr. Dupain scoffed, "Well, sure! But you can see it in his eyes. Eyes are the window to the soul, you know." The woman snorted, "Of course, of course. You're very good at reading people, after all."

"I am," he stated defensively. "I agree with you. He'd be a great son-in-law. I just hope he realizes how great a catch Marinette is soon," Sabine replied. Tom dried his hands on a towel, "He will. Did you see the way he looked at her?"

The woman smiled, "I did. I don't think he knows how he feels yet, though. I think it's going to take some time for him to sort out his relationship with Marinette."

They peeked out at the teenagers on the couch and just managed to catch Adrien watching Marinette as she absentmindedly stroked his hair and stared out the window. She seemed to feel his gaze on her, and their eyes locked. There was a palpable energy in the air as ocean blue met emerald green. As abruptly as the energy had come, it disappeared as they broke eye contact, blushing madly.

Several weeks after that first day, Adrien Agreste had become a nearly permanent fixture at the Dupain-Cheng house. He played Ultimate Mecha Strike against Tom quite often, since they both realized that it was a fairer fight than playing against Marinette. Sabine had taken to showering him in motherly affection, which he soaked up like a sponge.

The couple definitely didn't miss the way Adrien grew comfortable enough to simply drop his head into Marinette's lap when he wanted comfort, or the way Marinette managed to stop short-circuiting every time she touched his hair.

Sabine made sure to remind him regularly that she was always there if he needed to talk. Though he never took her up on the offer, he always seemed to appreciate her kindness.

Pretty soon after Adrien began working his way into their daily lives by helping out in the Patisserie whenever he was around, Tom started taking him out to do things he deemed "manly". Being a skilled baker, Mr. Dupain's view of "manly" things may have been a little less rough and tumble than was traditional, but it suited Adrien's gentle nature rather well.

The Dupain-Cheng family watched the sadness slowly ebb from Adrien's eyes over time. Soon, they only saw it every so often, when he would reflect too long on his parents. Marinette became rather skilled at picking up exactly when he was beginning to sadden, and promptly swooped in with encouragement.

Then one day, the relationship between their daughter and the boy shifted just enough to be noticeable. The blushing and stammering came back full force, and this time, it seemed that Adrien had been affected too. He stopped asking Marinette to play with his hair, and she jolted every time they brushed hands.

It went on for almost two weeks before Sabine found Adrien waiting for her upstairs. Marinette was out with Alya, and Tom was manning the bakery.

He offered her a strained smile, and she immediately knew he needed a mother's advice. "Hold on just a second, I'm going to fetch some snacks," she explained, before hurrying back down the stairs. Tom was placing a new batch of cookies into the display case, and watched curiously as his wife loaded up a tray with cookies and milk.

"Adrien wants to talk to me," she explained with an excited grin.

Tom nodded in comprehension, "Ah! Well, if Marinette comes back before you're finished, I'll be sure to keep her busy for you." Sabine reached out and squeezed his hand, effectively conveying her gratitude, before ascending the stairs with a spring in her step.

She placed the tray on the table, and Adrien immediately grabbed a chocolate chip cookie, nibbling on it as he pondered his choice of words. He washed it down with a gulp of milk, and turned to Sabine with an unexpectedly vulnerable expression.

"I wanted to ask you for some advice," he began, his green eyes flashing nervously. Mrs. Dupain-Cheng nodded enthusiastically, "You can talk to me about anything, Adrien." He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, meeting her gaze with ferocity she wasn't aware he was capable of, "I'm in love with Marinette."

Sabine's jaw dropped for a moment, but her expression quickly morphed into an enthusiastic grin. "Oh, that's wonderful!" she all but squealed, grasping his hands and squeezing them. He laughed, a quiet but genuine laugh, and shifted a bit self-consciously.

"I don't really know the first thing about dating, and I made things really awkward between us," he explained. Sabine pursed her lips in thought, "Did you tell her how you feel?"

"Not exactly? I think she knows I like her, but she doesn't think I was being serious. At least, I _think_ that's what happened. She won't really talk to me about it," he murmured sadly.

Mrs. Dupain-Cheng chuckled, "Maybe you were too subtle? Marinette is the kind of girl who needs to have things spelled out sometimes." Adrien flushed bright red and began fidgeting, "Actually, I may have come on too strong. I misread the situation, and I tried to kiss her."

Sabine smiled, letting him know he had no need to be uncomfortable, "How did she react?"

He sighed, "She pushed me away. She said it wasn't nice to flirt with people you don't like, and ran off." Mrs. Dupain-Cheng frowned, "Oh dear. That _is_ a dilemma."

He snagged another cookie and slouched into the couch, abandoning his perfect posture. "What should I do? She's everything to me. I don't want to lose her," he rambled, voice tight with emotion.

Sabine smiled warmly and scooted closer so she could wrap an arm around his shoulders and rest her cheek against the top of his head, which would not have been possible had he not been slouched down.

He relaxed into the motherly embrace and took a deep breath. "Adrien, you need to tell her how you feel. Tell her exactly the way you told me just now. Don't worry about flowers or dating yet. Just make sure she understands that you mean it," Sabine advised sagely.

"What if she doesn't feel the same way?" he whispered. Mrs. Dupain-Cheng squeezed his shoulders, "I don't think you have to worry about that."

Adrien swallowed, his throat uncomfortably dry, "How do you know?"

Sabine pulled away so that she could look him in the eyes.

"Mother's intuition."


	3. Future

**The final installment in this series of one-shots! Last chapter, there was an implied Big Reveal that took place behind the scenes, just in case I didn't make it clear enough.**

 **I may add bonus chapters later on if I get any good ideas, but this is the planned ending.**

* * *

 **Future**

That evening, Marinette came up the stairs with a faraway look in her eye, and a seemingly permanent grin on her face. Sabine thought she already knew the reason for that, but decided to play dumb and ask anyway.

"Did something good happen today, Mari?" she asked. Marinette's grin stretched impossibly wider, "Adrien. He…told me he loves me, Mama!" Sabine realized her smile must have been an exact replica of her daughter's as she rushed over to hug her baby girl.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you! I know how much you care about him," Mrs. Dupain-Cheng gushed. Marinette sighed in an obviously lovesick manner, "I can't even explain it. He makes me feel…" She trailed off, obviously at a loss for words.

"Complete?" Sabine supplied with a knowing expression. "Yes, Mama!" Marinette giggled giddily. "I feel the same way about your father. And Adrien feels the same way about you," she continued.

Marinette blushed, but eventually settled down enough to help her mother prepare dinner. As always, when her father arrived, he began to usher her out. Marinette playfully suggested that she stay in the kitchen to bother them, when Tom gained a mischievous glint in his eye.

"I suppose you could stay this time. I'll just let Adrien know he'll have to play UMS by himself today."

Marinette stumbled a bit, but quickly righted herself, "No, no! I'll leave! You two have fun!" She quickly darted out of the room, leaving her parents to laugh amongst themselves.

When Marinette entered the room, Adrien was already on the character selection screen. Their eyes met, and Marinette thought she might melt under the intensity of his gaze.

"Hi," he greeted her with a dazzling smile. "Hi," she replied breathlessly. He patted the spot on the couch beside him, and Marinette happily took a seat. They began to play, and Marinette tentatively scooted closer so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.

He shifted a bit and placed a kiss on top of her head, "I love you, Marinette."

The controller slipped out of her hands, resulting in a win for the cat-like robot.

She gasped, "You did that on purpose!" He laughed, "No I didn't! That was just a pleasant side effect." She shoved him playfully, "Liar." He pouted dramatically, "I'll have you know, I am the most truthful guy you'll ever come across." Marinette rolled her eyes and shoved him again, "Yeah, right! I know you better than that."

"Do you?"

He suddenly leaned forward, entering her personal space with a playful smirk that stole her breath away. Their noses were only centimeters apart, and Marinette flushed cherry red as she stared into those bright green eyes. He made no move to close the distance between them, so Marinette took it upon herself.

Their lips met for the briefest moment, and Adrien stiffened in surprise, having not expected her to actually respond to his flirting. By the time he'd gathered his wits, she was pulling away rather quickly, and he followed.

He tipped forward a bit precariously in his haste and pitched headlong into Marinette, knocking her back onto the couch. He barely managed to catch himself before he squished her, and found himself staring down into her gorgeous bluebell eyes. Marinette was extremely flushed, but laughed heartily, "Well, this is familiar, huh?"

Adrien blushed at their suggestive position, but was too mortified to move just yet, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-!" Marinette firmly grasped either side of his head and pulled him down into a loving kiss.

His breath hitched as his stomach did little flips, and he shyly allowed the love of his life to take the lead. After all, he hadn't a clue what to do; he could barely process the fact that her lips were touching his.

Marinette made to deepen the kiss right before they were interrupted by a surprised gasp.

"Oh my! That was a little more…passionate than I expected," Sabine commented with a raised eyebrow. Marinette became as still as a statue and her face drained of color, so it was up to Adrien to scramble out of their embarrassing predicament.

The boy gently detangled Marinette's frozen fingers from his hair so that he could sit up.

"I-I'm sorry, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng. I actually fell on Marinette, so it was my fault. And what happened after was very improper and disrespectful of me," he stated contritely, staring at a spot on the floor with a reddened face.

Marinette seemed to have finally recovered, and jumped up with a start. "No, Mama! It really wasn't his fault. I was all over him! Please don't be mad at Adrien," she pleaded.

Sabine barked out a laugh, "I'm not mad, dear." Tom entered the room with his hands on his hips, "Did I hear that right?" Marinette squeaked helplessly, and Adrien looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

The hulk of a man shook his head disapprovingly, "Marinette, you need to remember to respect Adrien's boundaries. Relationships are based on mutual respect, so I don't want to hear about you forcing yourself on him ever again."

The girl's jaw dropped, "What?" Sabine giggled, "You heard your father. Adrien is to be treated with respect." The teen model flushed anew, "Y-You're not mad at me?"

Tom snickered and clapped him on the back, "Not at all. I know you well enough to see that I can trust you to treat Marinette like a lady. It's _Marinette_ that I have to worry about." "Hey!" the girl spluttered indignantly.

Adrien caught her eye, and she saw a glimmer of mischief there. She restrained herself from shoving him off the couch for teasing her, and settled for a mild glare.

"I really don't mind, kids. I do ask that you two try to avoid getting too cozy in Marinette's room. It's not proper, and you two are still young. I'd rather walk in on you kissing in the living room than have to worry that you're getting in over your heads upstairs," Mr. Dupain explained reasonably.

Marinette's face was the shade of a tomato, but Adrien simply nodded seriously, a side effect of being used to taking orders. Tom recognized this, and a bit of sympathy flashed in his eyes.

The large man smiled and ruffled his blond hair. "I'm glad she chose you, son." Adrien grinned, gazing at the pig-tailed girl adoringly, "Me too."

Mr. Dupain ambled back into the kitchen, leaving Sabine with the two flustered teenagers. She sat down in the spot beside the blond boy and gave him a conspiratorial look. "So how was your first kiss, dear? Besides being interrupted, of course," she asked, a downright diabolical grin on her face.

"Mama!" Marinette chided. Sabine turned to her daughter with a carefully innocent expression, "I was just asking my son about his life. He can talk to me about anything, you know."

Marinette rolled her eyes, "That definitely wasn't his first kiss, Mama." Adrien chuckled, rubbing the back of his head absentmindedly, "Actually, it was." Sabine smirked triumphantly, "See? A mother knows these things."

Whatever he expected Marinette's expression to look like in response to that information, he most certainly wasn't expecting _guilt_. He raised an eyebrow at her, to which she responded with a 'we'll talk about it later' look.

Sabine ignored this little exchange and pulled Adrien into a warm hug. "I told you I didn't think you had to worry," she whispered. He laughed and returned her embrace, "You were right."

Things went back to normal around the Dupain-Cheng household after Adrien and Marinette finally became a couple. The boy came over for several hours every day and resumed his previous role in their lives. He played video games with Tom, carried the groceries up for Sabine, and stayed for dinner every night.

When Tom and Sabine walked into the living room to see their daughter asleep on the couch, with her fingers buried in a snoozing Adrien's hair, they knew that their lives would only become more intertwined over time.

Sabine couldn't say she minded seeing more of Adrien; after all, he was most certainly going to be a great husband to her daughter, and a wonderful father to her grandchildren.

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, Sabine," Tom warned, as if he'd been able to read her mind. After all these years, perhaps he truly could.

She draped a blanket over their sleeping forms and retreated from the room, looking toward the future with a knowing smile.


End file.
